4745 
4746
4747 
4748 
4749 
4750 
4751 
4752 
4753
4754 
4755 
4756 
4757 
4758 
4759 
4760 
4761 
4762 
4763 
4764 
4765 
4766 
4767 
4768 
4769 
4770
4771 
4772 
4773 
4774
4775 
4776 
4777
4778 
4779 
4780 
4781
4782 
4783 
4784 
4785 
4786 
4787 
4788 
4789 
4790 
4791 
4792 
4793 
4794 
4795 
4796 
4797

Tweyn preistys whech had gret trost in hir maner of crying and wepyng, 
nevyrthelesse thei wer sumtyme in gret dowte whedyr it wer deceyvabyl er not. 
Forasmeche as sche cryid and wept in the syght of the pepil, thei had a prevy conseyt, 
hir unwetyng, that thei wolde prevyn whedyr sche cryid for the pepil schulde heryn hir 
er not. And on a day the preistys cam to hir and askyd yyf sche wolde gon too myle fro 
then sche dwellyd on pilgrimage to a cherch stod in the feld, a good party distawnce 
fro any other hows, whech was dedicate in the honowr of God and Seynt Michael 
Archawngyl. And sche seyd sche wolde gon wyth hem wyth good wil. Thei toke 
wyth hem a childe er tweyn and went to the seyd place al in fere. Whan thei had a 
while mad her preyerys, the sayd creatur had so mech swetnes and devocyon that sche 
myth not kepyn it prevy but brast owt in boistows wepyng and sobbyng and cryid as 
lowde er ellys lowder as sche dede whan sche was amongys the pepil at hom, and sche 
cowde not restreyn hirselfe therfro, ne no personys beyng ther present than the tweyn 
preistys and a childe er tweyn wyth hem. And than, as thei cam homward ageyn, thei 
mett women wyth childeryn in her armys, and the forseyd creatur askyd yyf ther wer 
any man childe amongys hem, and the women seyd, "Nay." Than was the mende so 
raveschyd into the childhod of Crist for desir that sche had for to see hym that sche 
mith not beryn it but fel downe and wept and cryid so sor that it was merveyl to her it. 
Than the preistys haddyn the mor trust that it was ryth wel wyth hir whan thei herd hir 
cryin in prevy place as wel as in opyn place and in the feld as in the town. Also ther 
wer nunnys desiryd to have knowlach of the creatur and that thei schulde the mor be 
steryd to devocyon. Sche was in her chirch at myddenyght to heryn her mateyns, and 
owr Lord sent hir so hy devocyon and so hy meditacyon and swech gostly comfortys 
that sche was al inflawmyd wyth the fir of love, the whech encresyd so sor that it brast 
owt wyth lowde voys and gret crying, that owr Lordys name was the mor magnifiid 
amongys hys servawntys, tho that weryn good, meke, and sympil sowlys and wolde 
belevyn the goodnes of owr Lord Jhesu Crist, that gevith hys grace to whom he wole. 
And specialy to hem that dowtyn not ne mystrostyn not in her askyng hir crying gretly 
profityd to encres of merite and of vertu. To hem that litil trostyd and lityl belevyd 
peraventur was litil encres of vertu and of merite. But whethyr the pepil belevyd in hir 
crying er not, hir grace was nevyrthelesse but evyr encresyd. And as wel and as goodly 
owr Lord visityd hir on nyght as on day, whan he wolde, and how he wolde, and wher 
he wolde, for sche lakkyd no grace but whan sche dowtyd er mistrostyd the goodnes 
of God, supposyng er dredyng that it was the wyle of hir gostly enmy to enformyn hir 
er techyn hir otherwyse than wer to hir gostly hele. Whan sche supposyd thus er 
consentyd to any swech thowtys thorw steryng of any man er thorw any evyl spiryt in 
hir mende that wolde many a tyme a don hir left of hir good purpos, had the myghty 
hand of owr Lordys mercy not withstande hys gret malyce, than lakkyd sche grace 
and devocyon and alle good thowtys and alle good mendys, tyl sche was thorw the 
mercy of owr Lord Jhesu Crist compellyd to belevyn stedfastly wythowtyn any dowtyng 
that it was God spak in hir and wolde be magnyfiid in hir for hys owyn goodnes and 
hir profyte and for the profyte of many other. And, whan sche belevyd that it was God 
and no evyl spiryt that gaf hir so mech grace of devocyon, contricyon, and holy 
contemplacyon, than had sche so many holy thowtys, holy spechys, and dalyawns in 
hir sowle techyng hir how sche schulde lovyn God, how sche schulde worschepyn hym 
and servyn hym, that sche cowde nevyr rehersyn but fewe of hem; it wer so holy and 
so hy that sche was abaschyd to tellyn hem to any creatur, and also it weryn so hy 
abovyn hir bodily wittys that sche myth nevyr expressyn hem wyth hir bodily tunge 
liche as sche felt hem. Sche undirstod hem bettyr in hir sowle than sche cowde uttyr 
hem. Yyf on of hir confessowrys come to hir whan sche ros up newely fro hir 
contemplacyon er ellys fro hir meditacyon, sche cowde a telde hym meche thyng of 
the dalyawnce that owr Lord dalyid to hir sowle, and in a schort tyme aftyr sche had 
forgetyn the most party therof and ny everydeel.